Geokge morse guild



(No Model.) 1

G. M. GUILD. UPRIGHT PIANO ACTION.

No. 450,694. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MORSE GUILD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO l-I. E. GUILD, OF SAME PLACE.

UPRlGHT-PIANO ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,694, dated April 21, 1891.

Application filed March '7, 1890. Serial No. 343,030. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE MoRsE GUILD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Upright-Piano Actions; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inyention, such as will enable others skilled :0 1n the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a side elevation of an action for upright pianos provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is an edge View of the jack. Fig. 3 is a view of the jack and its rocker, the flange-pieces z and r, the swing I, and a portion of the rail G. Fig. 4 represents the hammer-butt as made Without the stop g.

The object of my improvements is to prov1de an upright-piano action of such construction that it will be positive in its working and 2 5 that will be free from the many delicate and troublesome parts that are in the actions now in general use, which are continually getting out of order and are a source of annoyance and expense to keep in repair.

The nature of my invention is defined in the claims hereinafter presented.

In the drawings, A denotes the key, which is fulcrumed at a.

B is the combined lifter and back-check, it

3 5 consisting of an upright bar provided in its lower end with an adj listing-screw O, the head of which bears on leather or a cushion 1), applied to the key, said head provided with holes to receive a rod or implement by which the screw can be turned, or a portion of the head of said screw may be prismatic, if preferred, so that it-can be operated byawrench, as may be desired, to adjust the litter in altitude to take up the space caused by the packing of 5 the leather or. cloth I). The said lifter or bar has a projection 0 near its top, which extends over the hammer-butt, as shown, and 011 the descent of the lifter operates to swing the hammer back against its railif for any reason it should fail of its own accord to return to said rail, and said bar on the edge of it toward the hammer is supplied with leather or a cushion c, which serves as a back-check to operate with the adjacentcurved leathered portion (1 of the hammer-butt to catch and hold the hammer E after it has struck the string and preventits rebound, and also hold said hammer near to the string in position to quickly repeat the blow when it is desired. The said ham mer-buttis notched at e and provided with abearing fand a stop g for the upper end of the jack, and itis also weighted at u. The hammeris pivoted at 'u to one end of the flange-piece w, and the damper-lever R is fulcrumed at g to the other end of said flange-piece, the latter being secured to the rail S.

T is the damper-head, andU represents the string.

E is the jaok-rocker,one end being pivoted at h to the flange-piece t, the latter fixed by two screws to the rail G, and the other end of the rocker F is pivoted atj to the lifter B.

H is the jack, provided with three arms and pivoted to the said rocker at 7; and extending below the same, as shown, a spring Z being arranged to hear at its free end against the lower arm m of said jack. Said spring fixed to the lifter, as represented, keeps the upper end of the jack against the stop g of the hammer-butt. The said arm on of the jack is slotted at m to receive the jack-rocker. A regulating button 12, whose screw or extends through the lifter, operates when in upward movement the upper end of the jack with relation to surface f of the hammer-butt, and the arm 0 of the jack operates with a regulating-button p to throw at the proper time the top end of the jack into the said notch e to relieve the hammer from said jack.

I is the swing, pivoted to the lifter at q and to the flange-piece r at 5, said swing having the arm 15 to operate the damper. A spring 2, fixed to the rail G, bears downward on said swing I, and the latter projects beyond the lifter B at o: to operate with a rail V to limit the upward movement of said lifter when raised by the key. The rail G is provided with beads or ridges a and 1), against which the flange-piecest' and r are borne, respectively, by the screws which confine said pieces to the rail. Such arrangcment,besides confining the said pieces to the iail more securely than can be done by a single screw, also admits of a change of position of the pivots 7L and s to effect the adjustment of the backcheck 0 to the curved portion (1 of the hammer-butt.

The jack-rocker F and the swing l, I usually make of brass or other suitable plate metal, in which the pivot-pins h, 70, and j of the rocker ands and q of the swing are driven so tightly that they cannot move or work loose therein. This construction of the rocker and-swing overcomes a serious objection in upright-piano actions, as when said rocker and swing are made of wood, owing to the shrinkage of the same, it is difficult to so apply the said pins to them that the pins will remain fixed therein. Consequently said pivotpins, particularly those bearing in the lifter and jack, often work loose and project beyond the surface of said parts, and when the action is in operation they will cut intothe next adjacent parts and materially injure them, and also interfere with the Working of the action. Defects of this kind in upright pianos are exceedingly troublesome and of every-day occurrence and are expensive and difficult ones to repair. Furthermore, by making said rocker and swing of metal theycan be made much thinner than when made of wood, which admits of longer hearings in the flange-pieces i and '2' and in the jack and thelifter for thejournals of said pins. Hence it will be seen that by this change in construction said parts will be supported to better advantage, will keep in place better, and are not liable to get out of order. Besides, by having longer bearings in the flange-pieces for the pins the cloth or leather bushings in said bearings can be confined therein, so that they will not be liable to work loose, as they frequently do under the old construction, for the reason that they are so short.

In the action hereinbefore described the operative parts are more substantial and of simpler construction than in the action now in general use in upright pianos, and, furthermore, my action is positive in operation, as no partof it can fail to do its work, and is not liable to be affected by heat, cold, or dampness.

As will be perceived, the lifter B is made in one piece, extends above the heel of the hammer, and is provided with leather or a cushion c, which, with its support, answers as the back-check to the hammer, the heel of the said hammer operating directly against said back-check, which, owing to its construction, cannot spring or fail to perform its function, as the back-check often does when composed of acushioned head andawiresupported by the j ack-rocker, as heretofore. Furthermore, said lifter is provided with means of vertical and lateral adjustment, as represent ed, to take up wear of parts. Furthermore, itwill be seen that the jack, instead of being pivoted to a flange-piece secured to and prois in my action pivoted directly to said rocker and has an arm extending below it, against which a spring bears, which is stiff enough to be reliable to keep the top of the jack in its proper position with relation to the hammer-butt. In the action now in general use in upright pianos the jack is kept in position by a spiral spring of very delicate construction, which requires the nicest ad ustment or the jack will not do its work, and because said spring is so frail it is constantly getting out of order and is a source of much care and requires frequent readjustment. Moreover, the said jack must be kept in exact position against the hammer-butt, and the latter must be covered accurately and be perfect in shape or the jack will not perform its function when the keyis struck, but will slip away from the said butt andfail to operate the hammer sufficiently to strike the string. A little dampness will prevent its working at all, and it is a constant source of annoyance. By my improvements this delicacy and nicety of construction of the parts above mentioned is avoided, andthe jack as improved by me cannot fail to cause the hammer when the key is struck to strike the string. It will be observed that the top of the j aek II when operating the hammer moves toward the pivot of the hammer instead of away from it, as in the action now in use. On striking the key the lifter B and parts connected to it and also the jack will rise (said movement being limited by the stop 00 and rail V) and the upper part of the jack will be kept against the stop g of the hammer-butt by the spring Z until the button a is borne against the jack and moves it along the surface f of the butt till the point 1 of the jack reaches the point 2 of the butt. Then the arm 0 of the jack will strike the button p and instantly move the top of the jack into the notch e of the butt and leave the hammer free to return to the hammerrest \V the moment the key is released from pressure. If the key is struck suddenly and and not held at all by the performer, the hammer will strike the string and return instantly to the rest XV, the projection c preventing-an y rebound of the hammer. Furthermore, when the key is struck and held down by the performer, the back-check c operates with the curved portion cl of the butt to stop the return movement of the hammer instantly after it has struck the string and holds said hammer near to said string ready for repeating the blow, which requires but a slight movement of the key.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by my improvements the jack cannot slip away from under the hammer-butt or fail to cause the hammer to strike the string when the key is struck, and, furthermore, the action is much simpler in construction, as I dispense with many troublesome parts that are in the old action-via, the regulating-rail and thebraces jecting above the jack-rocker, as heretofore,

fixed to the center rail that support said regulating-rail, the hammer-spring rail and hammer-spring, the bridle-wire and bridle-tape, the back-stop and back-stop shank secured to the ham mer-butt, the jack-flange, the backcheck, and the back-check wire supported by the jack-rocker Furthermore, the butt of the hammer may be formed without the stop or projection g, as shown in Fig. l, in which case the top of the jack will be kept in its due relation to the surface f of the butt by the regulating-button n.

I make no claim to any portion of a pianoaction constructed of doubled-up sheet metal, as shown and described in United States patcut to Roedern, No. 213,940, dated April 1, 1879.

What I claim is 1. In an upright-piano action, the lifter B, pivoted to the jack-rocker and to the swing extending above the hammer-butt and provided with the projection c and back-check c, as and for the purpose explained.

2. In an upright-piano action, the hammer having its butt provided with the curved portion or back-stop cZ, jack-stop g, jack-bearing f, and relief-notch c, said notch being located between the j ack-bearin g and the pivot of the hammer, as and for the purpose described.

3. In an upright-piano action, the rail Gr, formed with the beads a I), combined with the flange-pieces t and r, and the screws supporting each of said pieces with relation to said beads, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an upright-piano action, the hammer having its butt provided with the back-stop d, the jack-stop g, jack-bearing f, and the relief-notch e, the latter being located between the jack-bearing and the pivot of the hammer, in combination with the tri-armed jack having a slotted arm, the jack-rocker, and the lifter B, all arranged and supported essentially as represented.

5. In an upright-piano action,the jack provided with three arms, the lower arm slotted at m to receive the jack-rocker, as represented.

6. In an upright-piano action, the combination of the jack provided with three arms and the slot m with the jack-rocker arranged in said slot and pivoted to the jack, as represented' 7. In an upright-piano action, the combined lifter and back-check slotted to receive the j ack-roeker and swing and provided with the adj Listing-screw O, the latter adapted to work in the lower part of and lengthwise in said lifter, as and for the purpose explained.

8. An'upright-piano action consisting of the lifter B, provided with the projection c, back-check c, the adj usting-screw O, the regulating -button at, and spring Z, the hammer having its butt provided with the curved portion or back-stop (Z, the projection g, jackbearing f, notch e, and weight it, the flangepiece 20, the damper and spring y, regulatingbutton 19, the tri-armed jack, slotted as ex: plained, the jack-rocker, the flange-pieces t and r, sustained as explained, the swing provided with arm t, and the spring 2, all arranged, supported, and to operate essentially as described.

9. In an upright-piano action, the lifter B, pivoted to the jack-rocker and to the swing extending to or above the top of the hammerbutt and provided with the back-check c, as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In an upright-piano action, the hammer having its butt formed with the curved portion or back-stop (Z, the jack-bearing f, and relief-notch c, said notch being located between the jack-bearing and the pivot of the hammer, as and for the purpose explained.

11. In an upright-piano action, the jack provided with three arms, the lower arm slotted to receive the jack-rocker, said jack when operated to release the hammer having its top moved toward the pivot of the 11ammer, as explained.

12. An upright-piano action consisting of the lifter B, provided with the projection c, back-check c, the adj usting-screw O, the regulating-button n, and spring Z, the hammer having its butt provided with the curved portion or back-stop d, the projection g, jackbearing f, notch e, and weight a, the flangepiece to, the damper and spring y, regulatingbutton p, the tri-armed jack, slotted as explained, the jack-rocker, the flange-pieces t' and r, sustained as explained, and the swing provided with arm 25, all arranged, supported, and to operate essentially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE MORSE GUILD.

Witnesses:

S. N. PIPER, O. F. DANIELS.

ICO 

